Journey to Evolution
by Yurippe
Summary: Lily finalls gets the chance to leave for her own journey and learns that it's not only Pokémon who grow over their adventures.
1. Prologue

It was late at night in Goldenrod City, and far from the ever-busy center of this giant metropole, most people were already asleep. A young girl, however, sat on her bed, wide awake, directing her gaze outside the window longingly.

Next to her sat a little pokemon, which she stroked absent-mindedly while letting out a big sigh. "I wish we could see everything under this wide sky with my own eyes, Eevee." The girl took her little friend in the arm and lifted it up so it could see out of the window. She nestled her nose in its soft fur and sighed again.

She would be twelve the next day, and still not on her journey like any other kid from age ten onwards. For two years, she and her Eevee had been waiting here in Goldenrod City, going to trainer school, helping her sister out…

It was not that she wanted to leave this all behind. She loved her sister, who took good care of her and worked hard to never have her miss anything she needed, she also loved this home they had made here in this city that had so many possibilities and so much to see. If she was honest, travelling through whole regions by foot and sleeping outside did not appeal to her all that much, but still she wanted to. To do something on her own. Even if it was uncomfortable and maybe dangerous, she knew it was something she had to do in order to grow up.

But there was no way for her to go on this journey for the next few years. Her sister wouldn't let her. Part of her hated her for this, but the bigger and more reasonable part knew that she only did this to protect her. The world was a dangerous place for a young girl who traveled alone, even if she was with a pokemon.

She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't hear the door open and jumped a little upon her sister's voice. "There's no need to scare me like that the night before my birthday." This caused the older girl to smile, but she soon became serious.

"Actually, your birthday is the reason I wanted to talk to you." She sat down on the bed as well, her Espeon that had followed her situated at her feet. "I know it's been hard for you to stay here while everyone of your friends left for their pokemon adventure. I also know you understand my reasons for this, don't you, Lily?"

Lily nodded. "It's because I could get hurt."

"Exactly. I couldn't bear to lose you as well…" She paused for a moment and cleared her throat. "But I have realized that I cannot keep you here forever, and that it would be selfish of me to not let you go on your journey. Every parent or sibling is surely worried about those they part with, but we all know this day has to come. You and Eevee have been training for two years now, and I know you are not the type to jump into dangerous situations head over heels, so I have decided that tomorrow will be your last day here- if you want."

Lily looked at her sister increduously. "You mean I can.. go on my journey?" She would never have expected this.

"That's what I meant. But only under one condition. You may not travel alone at night. You sleep in pokemon centers, and for dangerous routes, you take the ferry, bus or or other public transportation. You call me every day to report about your well-being, and I will come to visit you every now and then. Can you live with these conditions?"

"Of course I can! I'll do everything you want if I can only go on my journey!" She jumped from her bed, throwing her perplexed Eevee in the air, and danced around the room like a Skitty running riot. "Oh, thank you, Rose, thank you, thank you, thank you!" She came to a short halt to hug her sister before starting the dance again, luckily, because otherwise she would have suffocated someone.

Rose sat on the bad, smiling and caressing her Espeon which frowned a little upon all the commotion in the room.

When Lily had calmed a little, she said: "I will need equipment for my journey, like food, cards, healing items…"

"Don't you think I already knew that?," grinned Rose. We're going shopping tomorrow, I'm sure we'll find anything you need in Johto's biggest department store right here in Goldenrod City. But I think it would be better if you went to sleep now, because enormous shopping trips require you to be fit. Follow Eevee's good example."

Lily looked down at her little brown pokemon, which was already fast asleep, probably due to exhaustion from all the dancing. "Okay, I'll try to sleep now. But tomorrow…"

"Tomorrow is your big day, dear. You can do whatever you like then." With a smile and a "good night", she closed the door and went to her own room, wiping a little tear from her eye. Tomorrow would be the end of something old, but also the start of something new.


	2. Preparations

The sun had not yet fully risen, but a certain birthday girl was already up and whirling through the house. Like the previous evening, she threw her Eevee in the air and kept singing "I'm going on a journey, I'm going on a journey!"

"You know, it's really nice of you to wake me up, but couldn't you have waited for a few more hours?" Rose, who had wanted to sleep a little longer, complained to her dancing little sister, but with no effect.

"Oh, good morning! When are we going shopping?" was the only comment she was getting, as Lily didn't interrupt her dancing for more than a few seconds.

"I really should not let you eat so much sugar…" Rose muttered to herself as she went to the kitchen and prepared breakfast. "At least get dressed!" she shouted over her shoulder.

"Okay, okay." Unwillingly, the younger girl paused her frolicking and went to the bathroom. After a shower, she picked her favourite clothes from her wardrobe: a brown, pleated mini-skirt, a white shirt and a matching white cap, which she put on after she had styled her long brown curls into two low ponytails at each side of her head. As she was still young, the only make-up she applied was some black mascara to emphasize her big brown eyes, and some fruit-flavoured lip gloss. Then she hurried back downstairs, her Eevee following at her heels.

The dining table in the living room was loaded with delicious-looking food: Golden pancakes with maple syrup, fried eggs on fresh bread, freshly pressed orange juice, cocoa, sliced fruits…

"I've made your favourite breakfast, birthday girl," Rose said. "Eat up, who knows when you'll get something like this again once you're travelling through distant regions."

"Already digging in," Lily mumbled, her mouth full with pancake.

On the chair next to her, Eevee was feasting on some Pokémon food and fruits. Espeon sat next to it and gracefully relished its toast and tea.

Rose situated herself on the free chair opposite to Lily and helped herself to some fried eggs. "Is there any reason why you're bolting like that?," she asked as she watched Lily finishing her third pancake in five minutes.

"Need to unpack my presents!," Lily explained and took a big sip of her cocoa, which caused her to start choking. Espeon shot her a disapproving look as if to object to her table manners.

"Your presents are not going to run away, dear." Rose calmly poured herself more orange juice and some maple syrup on her second pancake. "So could you please try to relax a bit and enjoy this breakfast? Otherwise I'm afraid Espeon will use Psychic on your food and let you only have it one by one."

Lily pouted, but slowed down her eating speed. She wouldn't want to start her birthday with a stomachache or some reproach by her sister's lofty Espeon. Not that she didn't like the elegant, cat-like Pokémon, but sometimes it was way too meticulous.

When she had finally filled her stomache, she left the dining table and excitedly paced over to the table in the living area, Eevee following hard on her heels.

There was a pile of packages on the table, and many cards to accompany the presents. According to the senders written on the cards, Lily had gotten presents coming from the regions Kanto, Hoenn and Sinnoh, as well as some from family and friends in Johto.

"Look, Anya sent me some Lava Cookies from the volcano near Lavaridge Town! And Blossom sent me honey and berries from Floaroma Town! Ah, looks delicious! And here, Crystal has sent me a fashion case so I can collect accessories for Sinnoh contests! And I have gotten ten Poké Balls from Elektra, and some potions and healment items from Rain. Oh, and Melanie sent me a Poké Radar!"

Rose smiled. "I've dropped some hints within the family that you might need some items for your journey. Looks like our cousins did a good job, doesn't it? They've also all said that you must drop by their homes when you're in their respective regions. The rest of the presents are from our grandmother and from me."

Piece by piece, as Lily removed the gift wrap, a Poffin Case, a Seal Case with a set of seals and PokéNav and Pokétch.

"I thought you might need those in addition to your PokéGear, as they all have different functions," Rose explained.

"Thank you!" It was obvious that Lily was delighted, as she unpacked both the pink Pokétch, which she fastened around her left wrist, and the PokéNav. "Hm, where do I put that? I can't stuff it in my pocket like the PokéGear…"

"That's why we're going shopping. You need a new bag, running shoes, a bedroll, food conserves, and what not. I've made a list, and we'll see at the department store whether there's still something missing. So, get ready to leave, and I'll go get to see where my Kirlia has disappeared to this time."

"Okay." Lily got up, piled up her presents and the birthday cards she had gotten – to which she would reply later – and started picking up the wrapping paper. Well, at least the pieces she could get and which weren't used as toys by her Eevee.

Lily grinned. "Hey, I didn't forget it is your birthday today as well. I'll get you something really nice in the Department Store, okay? Here, eat a poffin."

Eevee scampered towards its owner, took the poffin happily and and then jumped into Lily's arms to be taken to the door. As Lily slipped into her shoes, Rose came downstairs with her Kirlia.

"Get back into the Poké Ball," she sighed, and the ballerina-like emotion Pokémon disappeared with a red flash. "Goodness, this Kirlia sure loves to scurry around the house." She stowed the Poké Ball away into her handbag, then also put on her shoes and turned around for her Espeon. "Well, then, let's go!"

They took the bus to the city center, which drove by the famous Radio Tower.

"Hey, look out of the window! Who knows when you'll get to see this town again," Rose urged Lily, who was busy clicking her new devices. Eevee was curled happily in her lap, whereas Espeon sat next to Rose's seat with the expression of a sphinx.

They got off at the department store station and went right into the ever-busy shopping center. An employee greeted them when they entered and offered their help, but the sisters preferred to look out for useful items for themselves.

"Let's get you a new bag first," Rose suggested. They ended up picking a white one with pink highlights and a lot of useful inside pockets, a matching white and pink bedroll and a drinking bottle of the same colors.

After buying a pair of white and brown running shows, they took a break at the tranquil square, got some lemonade and then climbed up the rooftop where they took a look through some binoculars.

"So, what else do we need? I'd suggest getting some food conserves in case you can't stay at a Pokémon Center for some reason, food for your Pokémon as well, and maybe something like an escape rope? You already have Poké Balls from your cousin, as well as some items like potions, right? Is your Pal Pad full already?"

Lily shook her head. "Still plenty of space left. I could get a new diary, though."

When they headed over to the stationeries, Lily's view fell an item in the Pokémon accessory department. "Hey, Eevee, would you like that?," she asked her little friend as she pointed to a white silk scarf with pink dots on it. "The description says it enhances normal type attacks as well."

"Eevee!," the Pokémon answered happily.

"Well, then let me buy that for you."

After she had paid for the scarf, she fastened it around Eevee's neck. "Looks wonderful!"

"Eevee!" The little Pokémon bounced around in joy.

Lily then picked a new diary with an Eevee print on it, some food to take with her and other necessary items like the escape rope Rose had suggested and some bottles of repel.

"Here, I've got you this for yor safety abroad." Rose handed her a little package. "It's a TM I have bought upstairs, and it teaches your Eevee the move Protect."

"Thanks, I'll use that when we're back home. Speaking of which, I think now I really have all I need, so how about we eat a late lunch somewhere and then return?"

Rose smiled. "Sure, what would you like to eat?"

"Hmmm…" Lily thought for a moment. "How about that food court with all the nice pasta dishes and the delicious desserts?"

So they did, and then returned home with their stomaches filled to their very limits. Even Espeon had eaten more than it usually would, but in its own gracious way nonetheless.

"Well, do you want me to help you pack your stuff?," Rose asked when they were at home again.

"Sure, thanks! Although it should go really smoothly with my brandnew backpack."

Actually, she didn't need her sister's help, but since she would leave the next day and not see her for quite a while, Lily thought it would be nice to do as many things together as they could for now.

While the two girls were packing and sharing old stories, Eevee and Kirlia strolled through the house, always watched by a frowning Espeon.

When they were finished, the sisters went back downstairs and outside, where their old Girafarig was browsing the garden.

"You know, I would feel more at ease if you took Girafarig with you. It knows psychic moves so it can get you out of most troublesome situations, and it can also carry some of your stuff," Rose said.

Lily stroked the loyal giraffe Pokémon. "Maybe that's not a bad idea. I guess I'll take it with me until I catch another Pokémon. But won't you miss it?"

"Well, I'll miss you even more, and I still let you go," Rose answered with a sad smile.

Lily gave her sister a hug. "I'm sorry, but some things just need to be done. You also went on a journey when you were my age, didn't you? I promise I'll take care, and I will come back home regularly. Plus, there's always video telephones."

"I know, dear, I know. Still, it's hard to let go. But if you're like me, you'll do fine." She tried a little grin. "Just what the heck will I be doing all the time when you're gone? No little sister wo watch after…"

Lily smirked. "You could try to finally train that Kirlia of yours." She pointed to the Pokémon that was dancing around the garden and singing loudly, much to Espeon's dismay.

They both laughed at Eevee, who tried to catch the ever-disappearing ballerina in vain.

"Ah, it's gonna be lonely without you two rascals," Rose sighed.

"Well, make yourself a good time. Maybe find a new boyfriend?," Lily suggested.

"Speaking of which, don't you go with any strange men when you're out there, understood? You know what happens to little girls who…"

While cursing herself on the inside for making such a stupid remark that led to endless ramblings, Lily just nodded and said "yes" occasionally. She would miss her sister, that was sure.

"… already so late! You should go to bed now, you don't want to start your new journey all tired, do you?"

Lily yawned. She hadn't realised how tired she was until Rose mentioned the time.

She took her Eevee and went inside and upstairs, following her sister.

"Good night," she said before she entered her room.

"Good night, dear," Rose answered. "Sleep well, and have sweet dreams."

"Thanks, I will." She only had time to put on her pyjamas and lay down, cuddling her Eevee in her arms, then she fell asleep.

She didn't even think about where she would go first. The answer would surely come to her in her dreams.


	3. Finally to new adventures!

"Today is the day," Rose stated when they were sitting at the table, eating their breakfast. Although she had proclaimed the day before that Lily wouldn't get such a lavish breakfast again anytime soon, she had gotten up early in the morning to prepare the last meal the two sisters would be eating together in a long while with extra love, and also packed a lunch box for Lily.

"I know, finally!," Lily cheered with her mouth full of fried eggs. She hastily chewed and swallowed them before she apologized to Espeon, which shot her a disapproving look once again. Lily didn't want to leave a bad last impression behind her, although she somehow felt like it would make saying goodbye easier if Espeon – and Rose – wished for her to finally leave.

Rose poured her Pokémon and herself a refill of tea. "Have you thanked everyone for the presents yes?"

"Of course! I sent out messages with my new Pokénav in the bus yesterday," Lily answered and fed her Eevee a fork of pancake.

With her sweetest smile, Rose said: "I'm glad to hear you've mastered the ways of modern communication. Which means you can call me everyday to keep me updated on your well-being."

"I will," Lily promised.

When they were finished with their breakfast, they went outside to call Girafarig into its Poké Ball. Then they examined Lily's backpack again to see if she really had everything she needed.

"Have you decided where you want to go to first?," Rose asked.

"Well, I was having some trouble deciding on that. I would like to go to Kanto first and participate in contests there, but you need two Pokémon in order to do so. And if you don't count Girafarig… So either I take part in the Hoenn Contest League, or I try to catch at least one other Pokémon. As I'm having my eyes on a Skitty, I really think Hoenn is my first option. I can come back to Kanto afterwards, we'll see."

Luckily, none of them saw Espeon roll its eyes upon the image of a hyper little Pokémon running riot in her house.

Rose frowned. "Hoenn? It's pretty warm there… and the water is very deep. I've been to Hoenn many times and the climate is really not very enjoyable, all those thunderstorms and lava rains and…" Rose had already started to count all the negative aspects of the region.

"But you've been there," Lily said. "And now I want to go there, too. And see for myself if I like it. That's what this is all about, isn't it?"

"You're right, sorry. Well, then, let's see if we can get you there!" Within seconds, Rose turned back to her smart self and already clicked herself through various pages on the computer screen. "Okay, it's best to take the ferry to Slateport City. As the walk from there to the only route where Skitty can be found would be way too long, you should take the ferry from there to Petalburg City. It goes via Dewford City, where our cousin Rain currently resides, so you can stop by there and visit her. Then you continue to proceed via Petalburg City where all you have to do is go west and north through Petalburg Woods and you'll arrive in Rustboro City from where you can access route 116. Wait, I'm printing that for you."

"Er, thanks." Lily looked a little puzzled. It would surely be a long travel just to get to her very first destination.

"Actually, I could accompagny you until Slateport City, I'd like to buy some stuff from their special market," said Rose. But when she saw Lily's uncomfortable face, she added: "Or you can send me something from there?"

Lily nodded. "Sure, just make me a list."

Rose pointed to the computer screen. "Rustboro City also has a contest hall, so you could enter your first contest there if you want to."

"I'll think about it. But I think I really should get going now. I have my stuff packed and the plan you printed for me, so I'm ready to leave, right?"

Now it was Rose's turn to look uncomfortable. She didn't want to part with her little sister yet. "Okay, but I'll come with you to the harbor at least. So let's go, or you'll miss the ferry."

Once again, they got on the bus that took off from across the street, but this time they changed to another bus at the city center that took them to the harbor.

The sisters went inside the information and ticket building and bought a ticket to Slateport City. The ferry would put out to the sea in an hour, at eleven o'clock, and arrive at its designation the next evening, so they booked a room in the Slateport Pokémon Center for Lily where she could stay. There was more than one ferry to Dewford City from there, and the girl decided she would take one that took off in the afternoon so she could spent half a day in Slateport City, shopping for her sister and maybe visit the museum. In Dewford City, her cousin Rain would pick her up from the harbor and take her to her house, she had already confirmed via Pokénav text messages.

Rose sat down at a little coffee place and motioned Lily to take a seat as well. "Let's eat some cake while we wait, what do you think?"

They ordered cake and tea, which they ate in silence. Neither of them knew what to say, now that good-bye was near.

Rose finally broke the awkward silence. "Do you want something to read? It's going to take some time until you'll arrive, and I don't want you to get bored on a ship where you don't know anyone."

Lily nodded. "Sounds like a good idea."

They proceeded towards a store that had supposedly everything a traveling person needed, from toothbrushes to portable entertainment systems.

"Oh, look, the new issue of _Coordinator Weekly_!" Lily flipped through her favourite magazine that not only had reports about contests or new halls, but also useful tricks to use for better appeals, and not to forget interviews with famous coordinators. Rose had been featured in it sometimes when she was still active. Lily swore to herself that she, too, would one day be seen on its cover.

They went to the cashier's deck with this magazine, a romance novel and some bags of sweets. "Life is not a romance novel, you know"," Rose commented on her little sister's choice of book.

"I know! That's why it's nice reading one sometimes," Lily defended herself.

"As long as you're careful not to have your heart broken…" Rose got into one of her "take care with strangers, especially men, but actually everyone" lectures again.

Lily moved one hand to her heart and made an overly serious face as she pledged: "I promise I will be the most careful person in the world."

Rose threw her a look, but didn't say anything. "We'd better move towards your ferry, or you'll miss it. Come on!"

She was right, Lily's ferry already lay in the harbor, and Lily quickly lined in with the other passengers waiting to have their tickets checked so they could go on board.

"Are you sure you have everything you need?," Rose asked for what felt like the hundredth time. And for the hundredth time, Lily answered: "Yes, I am sure. We checked it together, remember?"

"Well, then, have a safe trip, and call me when you're in Slateport City. And in Dewford City, and in…" Rose hugged her sister tightly.

"I will." Lily swallowed a comment along the lines of being crushed. "I'm going to miss you," she said instead.

"And I will miss you, dear."

Lily was now the next in line to show her ticket, and after she did so, she finally crossed the bridge and entered the ship.

She let out Girafarig from its Poké Ball, lifted Eevee up with one arm and used to other arm to wave at her sister, who stood at the harbor with her Espeon and Kirlia and waved liked crazy.

"Take care! And have fun!," Rose shouted as the ship left the harbor.

"You, too!" Lily waved her one last time as she watched the figure of her sister become smaller and smaller.

Now she was finally on her way to new adventures. And although she had to admit it scared her a little, she was also excited like she had never been before.


	4. First encounters

When Rose's figure finally became invisible, no matter how hard she tried to find her at the shore line, Lily turned around and followed the map she had gotten together with her ticket until she reached her room. It was small, but cozy, and through the small bull's eye she had a nice view over the ocean.

Lily dumped her backpack on the floor next to her bed and placed the magazine, book and sweets she had bought earlier on the nightstand. She didn't want to leave her Pokémon in the cabin when she went to explore the ship, so she recalled Girafarig into its Poké Ball, which she put into her skirt's pocket, took Eevee in her arm again and locked the door before she left the room.

After she had followed the corridor outside her room for a while and ascended the stairs towards the deck, she decided she could as well look for some other trainers on board so she would have someone to talk to.

She passed by a group of older people that seemed to be on a cruise, a family with little children, another group of older people, more children… but no trainers as far as she could see.

"Can I pet your Eevee?," a little girl asked as she looked up to Lily with large eyes.

"Sure!" Lily smiled and released her Eevee from her arm. It happily accepted the tender strokes of the little girl.

"What are you doing? This is dangerous!" A young woman, obviously the little girl's mother, came running towards them, grabbing her daughter and pulling her away from the Pokémon. "Haven't you just been bitten by that scary creature five minutes ago?"

The little girl pulled a face. "But this Eevee won't bite me, I know that!," she declared.

Lily smiled at the mother. "I can assure you my Eevee has never bitten anyone ever before – so as long as your daughter isn't made of pancake, she'll be safe."

The woman reluctantly released the little girl, which happily started carressing Eevee again.

"I'm sorry for making such a fuss, but the kids who were here with their Pokémon before were rude, and when Maia tried to pet the Pokémon, one of them bit her," the mother explained.

So there were other trainers on board, Lily thought. But hearing the story of their Pokémon biting a little girl, she was not so sure if she wanted to meet them after all.

She decided to ask the woman about it, who was still eyeing her daughter and Eevee.

"Yes, there are some kids around your age with Pokémon, one of which bit Maia shortly before. I think they went outside to the upper deck."

Lily thanked the woman, promised the little girl to find her again during dinner and left for the upper deck. Maybe the other trainers weren't that bad and one of their Pokémon just needed some manners.

As she reached the upper platform, those others trainers could hardly be overseen. A bunch of them formed a ring, in which two Pokémon were battling. At the moment, it seemed as if the Snubbull of a brown-haired boy was about to win, as its opponent, a Spinarak, was lying on its back with its legs stretched out in the air.

"You're skills are as lame as that Spinarak of yours!", the brown-haired boy shouted and ordered its Snubbull to finish with the spider Pokémon. One last tackle, and the helpless green creature was defeated, leaving its trainer in shame as the winner let out cries of triumph and insults towards the loser.

Those boys weren't the kind of people Lily liked to be around, so she carefully made her way backwards, hoping no one had seen her and her Eevee.

"Hey, you! The girl with the furry excuse of a Pokémon!"

Lily pretended she hadn't heard the boy shouting after her, and proceeded towards the stairs, hoping they would just leave her alone.

"I'm talking to you! Don't you have any manners?" As she still did not respond, the brown-haired boy sent his Snubbull after her. "Snubbull, grab her and bring her here!"

"Let go of me!" Lily screamed as the pink bull tore at her legs and nearly made her fall. Eevee struggled to get free from her grip so it could defend her, but Lily held onto it tightly. No way would she let her Eevee fight against that monster.

"I'll let you go if you win a battle against me," the boy smirked. "Not that you stand even the slightest chance." The other boys laughed, and some of them commented on Eevee being nothing but a ball of fur.

"I will not fight against one of you brutes! And now let – go - of – me!"

Everything happened really fast. Lily, struggling to break free from Snubbull's claws, kicked it, and the Pokémon, infuriated, attempted to bite her into the leg when Eevee finally got out of its trainer's tight grip and jumped down to tackle Snubbull away. The bull Pokémon, hwoever, fought back and used its Thunder Bite on Eevee, who squeaked in pain.

"Stop it!" someone commanded in a loud voice.

Everyone turned around to see a young man, around 20 years old, who shot the boys a reproachful look. "What do you think you're doing here?"

The brown-haired boy looked at him challengingly. "We're just having a bit of fun with that whimperer and her furball. Not that that's any of your business."

The young man's auburn eyes seemed to burn in rage. "Pokémon are not a tool for committing crimes. You should rethink your way of handling them if you do not know this. Apologize to the girl and let her go!"

The boy still looked at him, mockingly. "What if I don't?"

"Then I will teach you a lesson. Charizard, come out!" Out of the Poké Ball he tossed into the air came a big impressive flame Pokémon that threw the boy a threatening look.

"Whatever, just let her go." The boy turned around, trying to hide his obvious fear for Charizard, and motioned his friends to leave.

"Do you think you can get away with this?" The young man was ready to command his Charizard to attack, when he noticed Lily crouched on the floor, cuddling her Eevee. It had been hurt by the bite and seemed to need help.

As the one young man kneeled down next to Lily, the boys used their chance to run away.

"Don't worry, your Eevee will be fine. Here, make it drink this potion." He handed her a little bottle which Lily put to her Pokémon's mouth and helped it drink the antidote. After it had swallowed all of the potion, Eevee stopped whincing and fell asleep in Lily's arms.

"You should let it rest until tomorrow morning, and then it will be back to its normal self." The young man stood up and reached out for Lily's hand to help her get up as well. Blushing a little, she took his hand and let him pull her up, Eevee tightly secured in her other arm.

"Thank you very much for your help. I don't want to imagine what would have happened…"

The young man smiled at her. "Nevermind. It's a citizen's duty to help people in need. By the way, I have not introduced myself yet. My name is Aidan."

"I'm Lily," was all she could bring out. For some reason, this handsome and moreover nice man had made an impact on her she hadn't experienced before.

Still smiling at her, he said: "I should bring you to your room before those youngsters attack you again. Which number are you in?"

She told him the room number and then walked in silence next to him until they reached her room.

"Thank you very much!" She bowed down as deep as she could with Eevee sleeping in her arms.

Aidan smiled at her again. "You're welcome. Take care!" Then he turned around and disappeared around the corner.

Lily didn't know for how long she had stared at the point from where he had left when her Eevee started moving in his sleep. Distracted, she took out the key and entered her room where she gently layed Eevee on the bed.

It was only the first day of her journey, and she had already experienced a brandnew emotion…


	5. First secret

Lily turned the pages of the magazine she was looking at, but after a while, she realized that she had no idea about what she had read. Sighing, she stood up and stretched a bit.

Too many thoughts were spinning in her head. She would have liked to take a walk outside, but was afraid of leaving her Eevee alone. And what if those bullies got hold of her again? Aidan would hardly come to save her again, she thought and let out another sigh. It still seemed kinda unbelievable to her that he had come to her rescue in the first place. Things like that didn't happen in real life.

A look at her Pokétch told her it was already time for dinner - no wonder her stomach was grumbling. But just as she was disputing in her head whether to eat some of the packed food she had with her, the PokéGear on her nightstand started vibrating. Snatching it quickly before it would wake Eevee up, Lily discovered a new mail by her cousin Anya in Lavaridge Town who had heard that Lily would be coming to Hoenn and invited her to her family's little inn.

Lily sent a reply thanking her for the mail and saying she would drop by once she had a her Skitty, but wasn't Lavaridge Town really remoted and hard to reach?

The prompt answer was that if she had reached Vertandurf Town, the next town after Slateport City on the route with the highest Skitty population, and als home to a Contest Hall, all she'd have to was go further until Mauville City and Anya would come to pick her up.

With that settled, the girls continued mailing about various stuff like Anya's new little Vulpix baby, and Lily was close to telling her about the latest events when someone knocked on her door. With a quick "text again later", she put down her PokéGear and went to look through the spy hole in the door.

Her heart skipped a beat when she saw a handsome, dark-haired man on the other side. She hastily opened the door to let him inside.

"Hey, I didn't see you at dinner and thought you'd might like this", he explained and held out a little basket that gave a delicious smell. "Asked the staff to pack something for you because you couldn't leave your room."

"Er… thank you," Lily stammered.

"Don't mention it. How's our little patient?" Aidan approached the bed and took a look at Eevee which was still sound asleep.

"She's been sleeping ever since you gave her the medicine," Lily said. Somehow, the presence of Aidan in her room made her nervous.

The young man put down the basket with the food on the little table opposite the bed. "Mind if I keep you company for a while?"

"No, please, sit down!" Lily pointed to the only table at the chair, but he refused and carefully placed himself on the bed next to Eevee. "Go ahead and eat, you must be starved."

"No, I'm fine, really…," Lily started to protest when her stomach gave a loud growl. She wanted to disappear out of embarrassent, but Aidan just grinned and said: "Us trainers work hard and need our food as well as our Pokémon."

Although the cold plate he had brought her consisted of nothing but delicious dishes, Lily kinda felt weird eating in front of the young man. At least he didn't watch her as she carefully chewed bit by bit, trying not to look greedy.

With a look at the open magazine on the table, Aidan asked: "Are you a coordinator?"

"Not yet, actually," Lily answered after hastily swallowing the piece of bread she had in her mouth. "To be honest, it's only the first day of my journey."

Aidan looked surprised. "Really? Aren't you a bit older than the average beginner?"

"Um, yeah. A lot happened and my sister was worried, so I delayed my journey for two years," she stated, a bit embarrassed. Now that she was thinking about it, the delay might seem a bit pathetic to others.

Aidan just shrugged it off, though. "People have lots of reasons, don't they? But you've had your Eevee for a while, I guess?"

"Yeah, the egg hatched two years ago on my tenth birthday, and we've been to trainer school and all that together."

Aidan smiled. "It looks like you've been taking good care of it, like a real coordinator would do."

"Thank you," Lily replied. Many Pokémon trainers, probably like the ones from earlier this afternoon, looked down on coordinators because they didn't find them competitive enough or assumed they wouldn't raise very strong Pokémon. Before she could make up her mind whether to mouth these thoughts to Aidan, he already spoke.

"When I was younger, I tended to be a bit, let's say, overly confident, and all I thought of was that I wanted to be the strongest trainer of all. I couldn't understand how someone would have a Pokémon and not aim to be a Pokémon Master, so I looked down on coordinators a bit. Then one day, this girl I came across challenged me to a battle and won, despite being "only" a coordinator. While I had tried to beat her with pure strength, she used a strategy and even managed to make her Pokémon look elegant throughout the battle. Ever since that day, I really respect coordinators and their work." He smiled at Lily. "So I think it's great that you want to become a coordinator."

The young girl gave a shy smile back. To know that there were people like him in this world who respected and even rescued other trainers somehow put her at great relieve.

"What's your plan for travelling?," he interrupted her thoughts.

"West of Hoenn first – visiting family in Dewford City, then in Lavaridge Town after some stops in between."

The trainer nodded at her. "That's nice. Usually, when you travel, you don't get to see your family very often."

Just when Lily wanted to ask him about his family, her PokéGear started ringing. "That's my sister," she explained after a look at the display.

Aidan stood up. "Well, see you tomorrow, then."

"Thank you for the food!," she called after him before he left the room. She stared at the closed door for a while before she realized that her phone was still ringing.

"How long does it take you to answer a call? Are you alright?"

"Sorry, I was in the bathroom." It was the first time ever she lied to her sister, but she couldn't possibly tell her that she had been attacked by some rowdies and saved by an older boy who had been in her room until one second ago. No, she couldn't tell all this to her sister. She would be too worried and command her to come home right away.

"So, do you miss me already?," she asked to avoid further questions.

"Of course I do! Even Espeon does. Now it has to play with Kirlia since Eevee is gone." Rose let out a little laugh, and Lily had to chuckle as well at the image of Espeon being animated to play with the little cheerful ballerina Pokémon.

"Well, it's time for you to sleep, young lady. Call me tomorrow when you arrive in Dewford City, understood?"

"Okay. Good night!"

After a "good night" from her sister, Lily hung up the phone. It felt weird having secrets when usually she told Rose every thing that happened. It felt weird, and yet strangely exciting. That might be what growing up means, she thought before she fell asleep cuddled up next to her Eevee.


	6. Arriving in Hoenn

Lily woke up with a sore neck the next morning. That's why Eevee had its extra chair at home, she thought. Trying to curl around the furry Pokémon that had stretched out all four legs in its sleep would not do her own limbs any good in the long run.

She yawned and got up from the bed, just in time to see her Eevee jump from the pillow it had occupied to the nightstand and then to the floor. The night of rest had obviously worked wonders.

"Got a good night's sleep?" Lily asked a bit grumpy.

Eevee stopped in its tracks to look at its trainer with its big brown eyes. Lily couldn't help but smile at it. It wasn't the little Pokémon's fault that her neck hurt, and she was glad it was fully recovered.

"Let's make you breakfast, alright?"

"Eevee!" it cried out happily.

Well, "making breakfast" basically consisted of opening a bag of Pokémon food and pouring some of it in the little plastic bowl she had in her backpack. Girafarig ate the food happily, but Eevee pulled a little face at first, before hunger got to her and it also started digging in.

"Looks like you won't be sponging pancakes today," Lily commented. After only one day, she already missed her sister's pancakes. She wondered if she would get any decent breakfasts on her journey.

The thought of breakfast reminded her of the fact that she was still in her pyjamas and should get ready to leave her room and head to the dining hall. Taking a quick shower, she changed into her skirt and a fresh white blouse. Then, with the utmost care, she put on mascara, blotted on a bit of powder and blusher and put on a coloured lip balm, as gloss wouldn't survive breakfast anyway.

Maybe she would see him there, she thought as she grabbed her Eevee, stuffed Girafarig's Poké Ball into her skirt's pocket and locked the door. Would he let her sit at his table? Was he even traveling alone?

"Look who's there!" a voice greeted her when she entered the big hall that was already brimming with guests enjoying their breakfast.

Lily turned around to see the rude boy from the day before at a table with some of his rowdy friends. Now he got up and walked towards her. "How's your furball? Not yet dead? Too bad, it would make a great pair of gloves to warm my hands in winter."

"You…! How dare you talk about my Pokémon, about any Pokémon like that?"

"Are you trying to threaten me, little girl?" He let out a nasty laugh. "Like you could scare me!"

"My Charizard certainly can," came a voice from behind. Aidan had entered the hall behind Lily and now took three big steps to stand in front of her, a Poké Ball in his hand. "If I catch you molesting anyone ever again, I will report you to the authorities and you'll have your trainer's license taken away. Do you understand me?"

"Whatever," the guy murmured, but turned around and left the hall, followed by his friends.

"Er, thank you, again," Lily said when Aidan turned around to her.

"Never mind, those kids were starting to annoy me, too." He smiled at her.

_Kids_… He called those trainers around her age, maybe even a bit older, _kids_. She was probably just a kid to him as well, Lily thought.

"Are you okay?" A concerned-looking Aidan interrupted her thoughts.

"Yes, yes, I'm fine," she managed to bring out.

"Well, then, let's finally grab some breakfast!" He walked over to the buffet where he started filling a large plate with a variety of food, while Lily only got a small bowl of cereals.

"That's all you're gonna eat? Shouldn't you get some energy for the start of your big journey?"

"I'm not really hungry in the morning." That was a big, fat lie, but somehow, she had lost her appetite over the encounter. "But I'll eat a proper lunch later." Even if her appetite may not return until then, Lily figured she'd better fill her stomach, since she didn't know if she would get dinner in the Pokémon Center she had booked for the night.

The two of them sat down and started eating in silence. Aidan was busy with his plate of food and Lily couldn't think of much to say.

They were finished pretty quickly, and with no more food there to be eaten, the silence got a bit uncomfortable.

"Is this the first time you're leaving Johto?," Aidan asked.

"No, I've been in Kanto before to visit family."

"Oh, you have family in Kanto? I was born there!" Aidan seemed pleasantly surprised. "In Celadon City, to be precise."

"And you lived there until you started travelling?," Lily asked.

"Yeah, but a few years ago, my parents moved to Sinnoh. They wanted to start something new since both me and my little brother had left."

So he had a little brother, Lily thought. If he was as cool as Aidan, she would like to meet him.

"Anyway, we still have to stay on this ship until the evening, so I want to use the time to train my Pokémon a bit. What are you up to?" Aidan looked at Lily questioningly.

"Nothing specific. I still should let Eevee rest, I guess, so could I watch you train if you don't mind?"

"Sure. Should we search for a place on the deck?"

Lily nodded, and so the two of them went out on the docks. Since trainers used this ferry often, it had an open space for them to use with their Pokémon.

Aidan took out a Poké Ball and released its inhabitant. A Cyndaquil came out and made a yawning noise.

"How cute!" Lily walked over to the little fire mouse and bent down to pet it.

"Don't!" Aidan shouted. Astonished, Lily jumped backwards, just in time to be safe from the flame Cyndaquil shot out from its back.

"Sorry, it's a bit timid around strangers… and around me", Aidan explained, as he tried to calm the Pokémon down. Lily just nodded, still recovering from the shock of the closely escaped accident.

"I just caught it this week, that's why I was in Johto, actually. If it's fully trained, my Charizard will have the perfect partner. I like fire types, and Cyndaquil will evolve into a really strong Pokémon eventually."

"I just always thought it was really cute," Lily said with a sheepish grin.

"Except for the burning, huh?" Aidan laughed.

"That's a minus point I'd have to learn to live with, I guess." Lily let out Girafarig from its Poké Ball so it could catch some fresh air and Eevee would have someone to play with while she was watching Aidan train.

"Is that your Girafarig?," Aidan asked with a weird look on his face.

"Ah, no, my sister made me take it for safety reasons. Why?"

Aidan shook his head. "Nothing, I just thought Eevee was your only Pokémon."

"Well, Girafarig isn't my Pokémon, technically."

"Anyway, I'm gonna train my Cyndaquil now, so stay away a bit for your own safety, okay?" The weird expression on his face that had been there just a moment before disappeared, and he looked concentrated to work with his Pokémon again.

Lily watched him, fascinated. He didn't even give any commands for attacks, he just focused on Cyndaquil's speed and defense to make it fit for any battle situation.

"You're really good," she complimented him shyly. She would never be that good of a trainer, that was for sure.

„Thanks! This little fellow will take a lot of training, though," Aidan replied.

They stayed on the deck until it was time for lunch, when they went downstairs again and filled their stomaches with fresh-made pasta from the ferry's chef. Lily, who had gotten really hungry after her small breakfast, ordered a refill after Aidan had urged her to.

"So, you mentioned your sister quite a few times," he commented when they were finished.

"Oh yes, my older sister was a coordinator before, and quite successful from what I remember," Lily answered. Which reminded her, she had promised to call Rose again. "I'm sorry, I just remember that I promised to call her again, could you excuse me for a minute?"

"Sure, I have some stuff to do before we arrive in Slateport anyway, so I'll see you when we go offboard, okay?" He stood up and smiled at Lily before he left the dining room. Again, Lily stared after his back until she couldn't see him anymore, then she got up, too, and went to her room.

Inside, she took out her Poké Gear and pressed the quick dial button for her home number. Occupied. Rose was probably talking to one of her cousins, which could take hours sometimes.

As she had no choice but to redial again later, Lily decided she could as well read _Coodinator Weekly _for a bit. Curled up on her bed, stroking Eevee next to her from time to time, she flipped through the pages.

They were having a type special focusing on the most beautiful grass type moves this week. Too bad she didn't have a grass type Pokémon yet, Lily thought. Maybe something flowery-looking might add nicely to her small team.

"Contest hall in Lilicove City enlarged… I should stop by there, shouldn't I, Eevee? … Pokéblock recipes… promising newcomers… wouldn't it be cool if I was featured in that category? And you would be in there, too, of course!"

"Eevee!," her Pokémon replied happily.

"Oh, look, it's Rose!" Although her sister's career had ended a few years ago, she was still featured in Coordinator Weekly – sadly enough, in the category Promising careers that ended too soon. Lily suddenly felt guilty for having held her sister back from fulfilling her dream.

"… _After winning the Johto Grand Festival at age 15, Rose from Goldenrod City was set for a bright future with many more victories ahead. Unfortunately, not even a year later, shortly before the next Grand Festival where she was tipped as the winner again, family circumstances made her retire. It is unknown whether a comeback can be anticipated."_

Family circumstances… Lily thought back at the time more than three years ago when she had suddenly become all alone. Alone for a few days until Rose had made it home and took care of her. Losing almost everything that was important to her must have been incredibly heard for her older sister, and yet she always did her best to brighten up Lily's life and to never let her miss anything.

Overwhelmed by feelings of gratitude, Lily reached for her Poké Gear and dialed "home" again. Home… was she really beginning to feel homesick already?

"Lily?" When she heard her sister's familiar voice, Lily couldn't help but shed a little tear.

"Are you doing alright? Did something happen?

"Yeah, I'm fine, just saw you in _Coordinator Weekly_ and felt like calling…"

Rose's smile could be heard over the phone. Lily had never realized how her sister's smile was actually audible. She wondered if her own smile was the same."Are you feeling homesick already?," she asked.

"No, I'm not! It's just that … Eevee misses you!" What a stupid excuse, she thought.

"Well, then, tell Eevee that I'll always be here if she needs me, but I also think she can make it on her own and fulfill her dream."

"Okay, I will." Lily wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "You know, I feel guilty about your dream. Giving up being a coordinator when you were so good at it…"

"That's nothing for you to feel guilty about, dear. I achieved what I had wanted to. Plus, who knows, now that you are all grown up, maybe I will do something on my own again, too?"

"I think that would be great." A smile now formed on Lily's face.

"See, you're smiling again! Amused by the thought of your old sister to make a comeback?," Rose teased. So her smile was audible. Somehow, the thought that she shared something with her sister made her feel comfortable.

The two talked for while longer, discussing the contents of Coordinator Weekly and neighbourhood stories, until Rose had to go and do some housework.

"And don't forget to buy the things I asked you to from the Slateport market!," she reminded Lily before she hung up.

The next two hours, Lily finished _Coordinator Weekly_ and started the first chapters of her romance novel. Then, it was time to get ready to leave the ship, as an announcement told all passengers that they would dock at Slateport City soon. In fact, without the announcement, she might have missed going off board.

"There you are," Aidan greeted her when she entered the lobby.

"Where are you going next?," Lily asked when they were lining to leave the ship.

"I'll be going north, train a bit at Mt. Chimney. Great place for fire Pokémon."

They reached the gate and walked down the bridge until they both stood in Slateport's harbour. "Your first time to set foot into Hoenn, isn't it? How does it feel?"

"Exciting!" Lily took a deep breath and looked around. There she was, in a new city, a new region. New adventures were about to occur, she could feel that.

"Are you gonna take the ferry to Dewford now?," Aidan asked.

"Uh, no, not until tomorrow. Tonight, I'll stay in the Pokémon Center and have a look around the city." Which reminded her, where _was_ the Pokémon Center?

"Well, then we should find the Center for you. According to my map, we just have to follow the main road north, and since I'm headed northways too, we can go together. Your sister wouldn't want you to get lost on your first day in Hoenn, would she?"

Her sister wouldn't be thrilled about her being accompagnied by a guy she barely knew, either, Lily thought, but kept it to yourself and just followed Aidan through the streets of Slateport City, being torn between soaking in the new scenery and wondering if she could still see Aidan again after their ways would part. Neither of them talked much on the way.

"There we are," Aidan said as they had reached the Pokémon Center.

"Thank you for bringing me here." What else could she say? If only she had read more of the stupid romance novel, maybe she would have known what to do now.

"Should we exchange numbers, just in case something like the incident with those kids happens again? I'll still be in Hoenn for a while, so if you have any problem, I can help you out easily," Aidan suggested.

"Yes! Thank you very much!" Oh, great, that sounded too excited, Lily scolded herself.

"Well, then, take care, and don't hesitate to call if you have any problem," Aidan said after they had finished their contact information exchange.

"I will, thanks a lot," Lily replied.

"Okay, I'll see you, then." With those words, Aidan waved at Lily, turned around and continued to walk down the kain street in northern direction.

Again, Lily stared after him until his figure blurred into the scenery. Then, with a sigh, half sad they had parted ways, half happy she had gotten his number, she entered the Pokémon Center.


End file.
